Chapter 29
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Rest (3)
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Time passed.
Before long, it was May.
Just like back on Earth, May in this world was lush and green. Whether it was the sky or the trees.
These were days when the urge to rest tugged at me from every direction. But rest was out of the question. I had to catch up on all the lessons I'd missed during my hospital stay.
Even calling it just middle school to high school level made me realize how long it'd been since I'd last cracked a book.
Especially once I grasped that I couldn't step out of this hospital room, it felt like bugs were crawling all over my skin.
Separate from my lifespan issue, being stuck in bed without moving? Utterly horrifying.
"Deron!"
The silver lining? Those guys dropped by periodically.
After the Morax subjugation, Lee Han and the others had all come to visit me at least once.
Erina Philstein visited the most.
She still came by regularly like this, keeping me company with her chatter.
The first time we met, she'd been shaking like a leaf, but it seemed my image had shifted after the Morax battle.
"Let's go watch the spring festival!"
"What?"
I stared at her in disbelief at Erina's bright, beaming proposal.
This wasn't a joke. She was talking to someone who couldn't take a single step from his bed...
"You can go out."
"Really?"
"Yes."
The dedicated nurse overseeing my treatment nodded.
She fixed me with a steady gaze before blurting out,
"Even if I told you not to, you'd sneak out anyway, dodging my watch."
"Haha..."
I couldn't help but avert my eyes. After weeks pinned to this bed, of course I was itching all over.
Truth be told, the academy didn't have an official "dedicated nurse" position.
She was just stuck babysitting me because I kept escaping the room.
As I dodged her stare, the nurse let out a sigh.
"You're at the point where you should be moving around anyway. Staying cooped up isn't good for you..."
"I'm just so itchy, you know."
"..."
"Sorry."
I didn't know about anyone else, but something about the nurse made words stick in my throat.
Especially after getting caught red-handed doing the exact thing she'd forbidden.
"But on one condition."
"Con...dition?"
"Yes."
The nurse nodded, and at that moment, Petra entered from behind, carrying something.
"What's this?"
"A staff made from the materials you brought last time. It can double as self-defense in emergencies."
"Oh."
I fiddled with it while sitting up. Hard and straight-lined—exactly the kind of thing grandpas used.
I planted the staff on the ground and eased out of bed.
Savoring the feel of shoes underfoot for the first time in ages, I leaned on the staff and took slow steps.
Comfortable. Definitely comfortable.
No wonder the elders tottered around with these.
"Pretty handy, huh?"
"There's a button up front on the handle, like an umbrella. Press it and pull like you're drawing a sword."
I followed Petra's instructions, pressing the button and yanking the staff.
Shring.
An ivory blade slid out smooth and silent.
I gaped at Petra, eyes wide.
"The whole sword's forged from the materials you brought. Shaping it into a staff form took a little extra time."
Listening to her explanation, I stared down at the Ink Scale Blood Serpent's fang.
Petra must have noticed I hadn't spilled its identity back in the dungeon. She still wasn't prying.
[Oh, an Ink Scale Blood Serpent fang?]
'You spotted it right away.'
Same lizard family, maybe? I left that unsaid.
[Not knowing would be weirder. They're not dragons, but they've got dragon-like lifespans.]
'Really?'
[Yeah. Judging by the fang's condition... it's gotta be centuries old. The real deal spirit beast.]
Hmm... its power had definitely been spirit beast level.
Even if the inner core fragment was only fingernail-sized.
"Anyway."
I was still toying with the blade in fascination when the nurse cut in.
"No mana use once you're out there today."
"Aw, it's a festival. When would I even need mana?"
"..."
"Sorry."
Anyway, sorry. My bad.
The nurse eyed me with cold exasperation. Was I really that unreliable?
Tsk.
"You're not fully healed yet. Mana from this body could trigger backlash. Absolutely no using it."
"Got it."
"Absolutely. Absolutely!"
Watching her hammer it home two, three times, I nodded vigorously—noble pedigree be damned.
Nobles weren't scared of nurses? Yeah, right.
Noon sunlight glittered off the crowd like a churning sea of stars.
Roads wove harmoniously through vibrant flowers and spring-basking trees.
Vast squares and buildings sprawled between them.
Noisy clamor filled the ears, stalls and laughter snatching at the eyes.
The spring festival.
What should have been a mass funeral thanks to Morax and Luberic Keias had kicked off normally after all.
"Wow..."
Erina walked with her red eyes sparkling, as if seeing the sights for the very first time.
"Erina! Wandering off alone, you'll get lost!"
"It's fine. He'll find his way back. He's a mana user, after all."
Agnes Bayern started toward the crowd where Erina had vanished, but I grabbed her arm and held her back.
'Erina Philstein's privileged.'
Raised without want under the count—a proper rich girl vibe.
Yet she wasn't arrogant. She bruised easily but bounced back strong.
That was the root of her courage. Even when hurt, she thought of others first.
The will to push forward.
She'd enrolled in the academy despite Count Philstein's objections—that said it all.
In the original story, she'd faced those slain in Morax's attack.
A fragile girl wailing apologies at their graves... that hadn't happened this time.
Instead, she was just buzzing with first-time festival excitement.
Best to let her savor it.
She'd been through enough too.
Agnes seemed to get it, accepting my restraint.
"By the way, Han. Didn't expect you to tag along. Aren't you usually at the training grounds?"
"...Erina begged and begged to come together."
What could I do?
As the original described, Erina was like a little sister to everyone.
Same age, but outside of battle, they all doted on her that way.
Not even blood-related, and that cute thing pleads? Ignoring her would make you trash. Yeah.
"More than that, Deron."
"Hm?"
"Your body's really okay, right?"
To Han's question, I lifted the staff slightly. Need this to walk—think I'm okay?
Truthfully, standing and walking posed no major issues, but the staff kept any pain at bay.
"Well, enough to come out and stroll like this."
"Good to hear."
Han nodded and headed to a nearby stall. Probably to grab those lizard skewers he loved most in the original.
Sure enough, he returned with some.
But...
"You eat that?"
"Festival delicacy. Good for the body."
Why does it look like that?
The original described it as appetizing.
Protagonist perspective, maybe?
Han thrust a skewer tail my way, offering.
I flailed my hands in refusal.
'Still, it's a festival. Gotta try something.'
Glancing around, I spotted Korean staples like hotteok and tteokbokki here and there—perfect replicas of home.
But over that...
I wanted something unique to this empire.
"...?"
What's that doing there?
My eyes locked on tanghulu—those fruit candies on a stick.
Too sweet; I'd never touched them before possession.
I snuck a peek at Agnes. Sure enough, her eyes had gone dark and distant.
Longing mixed with resurfaced memories, maybe.
I approached the merchant and asked about the tanghulu.
"How much for three?"
"Just one silver!"
Cheaper than expected.
No clue if my sense of money was off, but I handed over the silver gladly.
Returned with three sticks in hand.
Agnes's gaze glued to the tanghulu. Still haunted by those memories.
"Here."
"..."
I handed one to Han, then one to her.
Her eyes stayed fixed, but her hand didn't budge.
I stared her down and spoke.
"Not taking it?"
"Ah..."
Sigh.
I took her hand, folded her fingers, and pressed the tanghulu into her grip. Agnes glanced between it and me.
"Deron! Agnes! Han! Check out this cool thing!"
Erina's cheerful voice rang out then. I left Agnes be and headed her way.
She'd figure it out. My meddling stopped here.